A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to toothbrushes, and, more particularly, to a toothbrush which may have an oral care dispenser, such as a breath freshening, teeth cleaning gel capsule, and an oral care accessory, such as a toothpick.
B. Description of the Related Art
The advantages of good dental hygiene are well known. Often, however, toothbrushes are forgotten when one is traveling or away from home. Hotels, health care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, daycare facilities, schools, airlines, etc. have a need for single use disposable or limited multiple use toothbrushes that may be economically supplied to and discarded by individuals without a toothbrush and/or a water supply. Such toothbrushes could be used in vending machines, or distributed in large quantities for simple, portable use from anywhere.
Various types of disposable, limited use, or portable toothbrushes are known in the art. For example, some toothbrush systems have attempted to meet some of these needs by providing toothpaste within the toothbrush itself, through an integrated channel, for distribution through the toothbrush and around the bristles. This approach can be less economical due to the added manufacturing costs of toothbrushes with integrated channels. In addition, the toothpaste in some of these integrated channel toothbrushes, not being properly sealed, has a tendency to become dry, hard and stale.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,274 shows an apparatus for brushing teeth that includes an outer bag, a toothbrush sealed within the outer bag, and a dispenser sealed within the outer bag and containing a mouth care solution. In use, the rupturable dispenser is squeezed or otherwise subjected to pressure while the toothbrush remains sealed within the outer bag. Unfortunately, the apparatus for brushing teeth requires an outer bag, increasing the cost of the apparatus, and fails to provide the rupturable dispenser and toothbrush as one complete, connected unit. The reference also fails to provide a toothpick mechanism for cleaning in between teeth, and which is also connected to the toothbrush.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,860 discloses a disposable, waterless tooth brushing assembly that includes a toothbrush, a non-foaming, saliva-activated, teeth-cleaning agent pre-applied to the bristles of the toothbrush, a small moistened disposable towel for user after teeth cleaning, and a compact, lightweight, two-layer heat-sealed packaging container for pre-use sanitary storage of the toothbrush and towel. Like U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,274, the assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,860 requires a packaging container, increasing the cost of the assembly, and fails to provide a rupturable dispenser and toothbrush as one complete, connected unit. The reference also fails to provide a toothpick mechanism for cleaning in between teeth, and which is also connected to the toothbrush.
Published U.S. application 2002/0106234 discloses a chewable toothbrush made of a flexible shell with bristles coupled to the shell and a chewable centerpiece disposed within the shell interior. A burstable capsule is disposed adjacent to the chewable centerpiece within the shell interior and maintains a digestible fluid.
None of the toothbrush assemblies of the related art includes a rupturable dispenser containing a dentifrice, a toothpick, and a toothbrush as one complete, connected unit or the various other combination of oral care members and materials, later described. Thus, there is a need in the art for a waterless, toothbrush having a toothpick connected thereto to enable cleaning in between teeth or other accessory, and a dispenser containing a dentifrice or other oral care material and being connected in the bristle or cleaning element portion of the toothbrush for dispensing the dentifrice to the teeth to provide teeth cleaning and breath freshening or other oral care benefits.